1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fishing reels.
2. Prior Art
A typical prior art fishing reel shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of a reel body 10 for attaching to a fishing pole. A main shaft 11 is positioned in body 10 and projects out the front of the body. A spool 12 is positioned around the front or outer end of main shaft 11. A rotor 13 is positioned around main shaft 11 behind spool 12 and is rotatable about the shaft. A roller 14 is attached to the front of rotor 13. A pinion gear 15 is positioned within body 10 around the inner end of main shaft 11 and is rotatable independently about the shaft. Pinion gear 15 has a sleeve 16, and is fixedly connected to rotor 13 through sleeve 16 around main shaft 11 for simultaneous rotation. A lead screw 17 is positioned in body 10 parallel to main shaft 11. A lead screw gear 18 is fixedly attached to a forward end of lead screw 17. Lead screw gear 18 is engaged with and driven by pinion gear 15. An oscillation block 19 has a first end slidably connected to lead screw 17, and a second end fixedly attached to the inner end of main shaft 11. Grooves 20 are provided on lead screw 17 for driving oscillation block 19 through conventional connections which are not shown. Pinion gear 15 is driven by a main gear 21 which is driven by a crank handle 22 through conventional connections which are not shown.
When handle 22 is turned, pinion gear 15 is driven by main gear 21. Rotor 13 is simultaneously driven through its connection with pinion gear 15 to rotate about main shaft 11. A fishing line (not shown) threaded around roller 14 is wound around spool 12 by rotating rotor 13. As handle 22 is turned, lead screw gear 18 is also rotated by engagement with pinion gear 15. Lead screw 17 is rotated by lead screw gear 18, and oscillation block 19 is repeatedly driven back and forth or oscillated along lead screw 17. Main shaft 11 and spool 12 are also driven back and forth relative to rotor 13 by being connected to oscillation block 17. As a result, the fishing line is spread out along the length of spool 12 for smoothly and evenly filling the spool. As fishing line 23 is wound back and forth along the length of the spool, a crisscrossing winding pattern shown in FIG. 2 is produced.
The crosswind angle between succeeding layers of line is determined by the speed of the spool""s back and forth oscillation relative to the speed of the rotor""s rotation. The spool oscillation speed is determined by the pitch of grooves 20 on lead screw 17 and the gear ratio between pinion gear 15 and lead screw gear 18. In a typical prior art fishing reel, the spool oscillation speed is limited because the pitch of grooves 20 is already at a practical maximum, and pinion gear 15 is relatively small. The size of pinion gear 15 is dictated by the desired rotation speed of rotor 13, and is also limited by the tight space within body 10. Since lead screw gear 18 is driven directly by relatively small pinion gear 15, the oscillation speed of spool 12 is limited to winding fishing line 23 at the fine or small crosswind angle shown in FIG. 2. A fine crosswind angle is undesirable because succeeding layers of fishing line are almost parallel to each other, and the outer layers tend to dig into the lower layers. When the line is cast or released, it will tend to snag and reduce the casting distance, or even come out bunched together and become tangled.
Another disadvantage of prior art fishing reels is that since lead screw gear 18 is driven directly by pinion gear 15, lead screw 17 must be almost entirely positioned behind pinion gear 15. This results in a relatively long reel body 10 which many fisherman find undesirable.
The objectives of the present fishing reel are:
to speed up the spool oscillation to increase the crosswind angle of the fishing line on the spool for smoother casting;
to reduce the length of the reel body for compactness and reduced weight;
to reduce friction in the oscillator for improved performance; and
to be more economical to manufacture.
Further objectives of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
The present fishing reel is comprised of a reel body for attaching to a fishing pole. A main shaft is positioned in the body and project out the front of the body. A spool is positioned around the front or outer end of the main shaft. A rotor is positioned around the main shaft behind the spool and is rotatable about the shaft. A pinion gear is positioned within the body around the inner end of the main shaft and is rotatable independently about the shaft. The pinion gear is fixedly connected to the rotor through a sleeve around the main shaft for simultaneous rotation. A drive gear is positioned outside the body behind the rotor and coaxial with the sleeve. The drive gear is also rotationally fixed relative to the rotor and sleeve. A lead screw is positioned in the body parallel to the main shaft. A lead screw gear is fixedly attached to a forward end of the lead screw. The lead screw gear is engaged with and driven by the drive gear. An oscillation block has a first end slidably connected to the lead screw, and a second end fixedly attached to the inner end of the main shaft. The pinion gear is driven by a main gear which is driven by a crank handle. The drive gear is preferably larger than the pinion gear for driving the lead screw at higher speed for faster spool oscillation to produce a larger crosswind angle in the fishing line.